The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-06-17

Her waving hair was black, and so were her
beautiful eyes and the long lashes that curled
over them. The complexion was a clear
olive, the lips like coral and the teeth small
and regular. Every advantage that Nature
can lavish on n woman she had endowed her
with in abundance, including radiant health
and spirits. To these charms must be added
that sweet and kindly look which sometimes
finds home on the faces OF good women,
soft voice, a quick intelligence and an utter
absence of concet or self consciousness, and
the reader will get some idea Of what Eva
Ceswick was like in the first flush Of her
beauty.
"Let me introduce my sister Eva Mr.
Jones'"
But Mr.. Jones was, for the moment, par.
alyzed; he could not even take off his hat.
"Well,n said Florence, presently, "she Is
not Medusa; there is no need for you TO turn
into stone"
This woke him up-indeed, Florence had an
ugly trick of waking people up occasionally
and he took off his hat, which was, as usual,
q dirty one, and muttered something maud
ible. As for Eva, she blushed, and, with
ready wit said that Mr.. Jones was no doubt
astonished at the filthy state Of her dress
las q matter Of fact, Jeremy could not have
sworn that she had one on at ALL much less
Its condition.. "The fact is" she went on, II
have been lying fat on the grass and looking
over the edge of the cliff"
"What atn asked Jeremy.
"Why, the bones"
The spot on which they were standing was
part Of the ancient graveyard Of Titheburgh
abbey, and as the sea encroached year by
year. multitudes of the bones Of the long dead
inhabitants Of Kesterwick were washed out
of their quiet graves and strewed upon the
beach and unequal surfaces Of the cliff.
"Loob," she said, kneeling down, an ex-
ample that he followed. About six feet be-
low them, which was the depth at which the
corpses had originally been laid, could be
seen fragments of lead and rottng wood pro-
jecting from the surface of the cliff, and what
was more CHASTITY sight, eight inches or
more OF the leg bone Of man, off which the
feet had been washed away. On ledge in
the sandy cliff about twenty-five feet from
the top and sixty or so from the bottom,
there lay quite collection of human remains
of all sorts and Sizes conspicuous among them
being the bones that had composed the feet
that belonged to the projecting shanks.
"Isn't it dreadfuli' said Eva, gazing down
with species of fascination; "just fancy
coming to thatl Look at that little baby's
skull just by the big one. Perhaps that is the
mothers. And oh, what is that buried in the
sandp
As much of the object to which she pointed
as was visible looked like an old cannon ball,
| but Jeremy soon came to different conclu-
| sion.
at is a bit Of lead coffin" he said.
"Oh, should like to get down there and
| find out what is in it. Can't you get downT
Jeremy shook his head. awe done it as q
| boy" he said, "when was very light; but it
| is 10 good my trying now; the sand would
| give with me, and l should go to the bottom" "
llc was willing to do most things to oblige
this lovely creature, but Jeremy was, above
all things, practical and did not see the use Of
| breaking his neck for nothing.
well" she saii "you certainly are rather
heavy"
Fifteen stone,n he said mournfully.
But am not ten; think l could get
down"
| You'd better not try without rope"
| Just then their conversation was interrupted
by Florcnce's clear voice.
| When you two people have quite finished
staring at those disgusting bones, perhaps,
E,o, you will come home to lunch. If you
only knew how silly you look, sprawling
there like two Turks going to be bastinadoed,
perhaps you would get up"
This was too much for Eva; she got up at
once, and Jeremy followed slit
"Why could you not let us examine our
bones in peace, Florencer said her sister,
jokingy.
Because you are really too idiotic. You
see, Mr.. Jones, anything that is old and
fusty and has to do with old fogies who are
dead and gone centuries ago, has the greatest
charms for my sister She would like to &C
home and make stories about those bones
whose they were, and what they did and al
the rest of it. She calls it imagination; l cal
it fudge"
Eva flushed up, but said nothing; evident
ly she was not accustomed to answer hel
elder sister, and presently they parted to e
their separate ways.
"What great oaf that Jeremy Isl" sale
Florence to her sister on their homewarC
way.
81 did not think him an oaf at all, she re
piled, warmly; IL thought him very nice"
Florence shrugged her square shoulders
"Well, of course if you like giant with a
much brain as an owl, there is nothing NOR
to be said. You should see Ernest; he is nice
il you like"
"You seem to be very fond of Ernest"
"Yes, l am" was the reply; ''and hop
that when he comes you won't poach on m.
manorn
"You need not be afraid" answered Eva
smiling; ~ promise to leave your Ernes
alonen
''Then that is bargain" said Florence
sharply. "Mind that you keep your word.